In the vast banquet hall, the haunting melody of a waltz flowed gently through the air.
The crystal chandeliers cast a brilliant light, illuminating the entire hall as if it were midday. The walls were adorned with priceless oil paintings and tapestries, depicting the extravagant lives of the vampire aristocracy.
However, unlike the usual vibrant energy, tonight the hall felt eerily empty.
Only a few vampire nobles lounged lazily on velvet sofas, sipping crimson liquid and whispering amongst themselves. Their faces wore an absent look, as though the ball held no interest for them.
In the center of the dance floor, there was only one pair of dancers.
The man was, of course, Casil. Dressed in a deep black tailcoat, he stood tall and handsome, his figure accentuated by the elegant attire. Gone was his usual coldness and arrogance, replaced by a rare trace of tenderness.
The woman was Cecilia. She had been forced into a lavish blood-red gown, its hem adorned with countless sparkling rubies, resembling stars scattered across the night sky. Her long hair was styled high, exposing her slender, pale neck, which still bore the faint marks left by Casil.
Casil held Cecilia by the waist, leading her in a graceful spin across the floor.
His movements were poised and expert, every step exuding both strength and beauty.
Cecilia, however, was stiff and awkward, unable to follow his rhythm.
It wasn't that she couldn't dance.
As a noblewoman, she had received rigorous etiquette training from a young age, and the waltz should have been second nature to her.
But tonight, it felt impossibly difficult.
Her heart was not in it.
She could not forget the fate that bound her, nor the cruelty and dominance of Casil. She couldn't forget Raven's sacrifice or his unwavering devotion.
She felt as though she were a puppet on strings, dancing a desperate waltz in this gilded cage, controlled by Casil.
"Relax,"Casil's voice whispered in her ear, soft yet seductive."Follow my rhythm."
Cecilia shuddered.
She tried to loosen her body, but it felt like a rusted machine, incapable of coordination.
"Are you still thinking of him?"Casil asked suddenly, his voice tinged with annoyance.
Cecilia's heart skipped a beat.
She knew he was talking about Raven.
"I'm not…"she murmured, attempting to cover her unease.
"Don't lie to me, Cecilia,"Casil's eyes sharpened."Your eyes have betrayed you."
He abruptly halted their dance, pulling Cecilia into his embrace.
His hold was so tight, it felt as though he wanted to crush her into his very bones.
"You can only look at me, only think of me, you can only…belong to me,"Casil's voice was low and hoarse, tinged with an unsettling, possessive madness.
Cecilia felt a wave of suffocation.
She tried to break free, but before him, her strength felt so insignificant, so utterly powerless.
"Casil, let me go…"she struggled, her voice trembling,"You're hurting me…"
"Hurt?"Casil chuckled darkly."What is this pain compared to what you've caused me? It's nothing!"
Anger and hurt filled his eyes.
He couldn't forget the image of Cecilia attempting to kill him, nor the moment she fled with Raven.
He felt betrayed, abandoned.
He wanted revenge, wanted to punish her, to make her feel the pain he had endured.
But he couldn't bring himself to hurt her.
Even though she had betrayed him, even though she hated him, he couldn't bring himself to harm her.
Instead, he used this form of control to express his anger and possessiveness, to conceal the vulnerability and insecurity he felt deep within.
"Cecilia, why?"Casil's voice cracked,"Why…can't you love me?"
His eyes were filled with longing and pleading, like a wounded child seeking solace from its mother.
Cecilia's heart trembled slightly.
She gazed at Casil, her eyes swirling with conflicting emotions.
She didn't know how to answer him, didn't know what feelings she held for him.
Was it hatred? Fear? Or…
A trace of compassion that she couldn't even admit to herself?
"I…"she opened her mouth to speak but found that she could say nothing at all.
Casil watched her, disappointment flickering in his gaze.
He knew that he would never possess her heart.
There was an insurmountable chasm between them.
It was made of blood and tears, hatred and fear, captivity and freedom.
Slowly, he released Cecilia and stepped back.
"Continue dancing,"he said, his voice tinged with exhaustion."It is your duty as my bloodbound bride."
The music resumed, and Casil once again took Cecilia by the waist, guiding her across the floor.
But this time, his movements were no longer graceful and fluid; instead, they were mechanical, stiff.
His gaze, too, lacked its former tenderness and focus, now hollow and lost.
Cecilia followed his rhythm silently, dancing the hopeless waltz.
How long would this dance continue? What would become of her fate?
All she knew was that she was utterly lost in this bloodstained prison, unable to find a way out.